Month: December 2016

So I’m a white vegan. I don’t know how to properly deal with people that say things like “using animals is part of my culture, stop trying to take my culture away, white vegans” without overstepping my bounds and being racist. But I also don’t want to let people get away with animal abuse just to avoid hurting their feelings. It also really hurts to hear so many people in the community talk badly of us like we’re literally Satan incarnate. Thanks for listening.

This is a really common argument, I’ve dealt with it in some detail here Don’t let people get away with silencing you on this one, being critical of negative and harmful aspects of cultures is something we all do and it’s seldom considered racist, female genital mutilation is a cultural practice, so is Yulin, so is bull fighting. These practices are not immune to critique simply because they’re rooted in culture.

Chances are, if you’ve found this site, you already think about the same kind of things as people here do.

What you bring is your unique perspective.

So please, share it with us…

Why does this site exist?

Anti-civ.org was created because those wanting to discuss anti-civ ideas have found their selves and their views marginalized, ridiculed and even censored on other so-called ‘radical’ spaces online. Therefore, a place where undisturbed discussions can advance and really bear fruit seemed necessary.

Who is this site for?

Everyone. Or rather, everyone who wants to learn more about anti-civ thought, share their own perspective, and wants reasonable discussion. You don’t have to be anti-civ to join our discussions, and in fact, we hope that many newcomers to these questions will be persuaded towards anti-civ ideas partly through visiting this site and reading through the discussions. Even those wanting to argue in favor of civilization, or to criticize anti-civ thoughts, are welcome – provided their critiques are sincere, solicitous and sensible. There is much good that can fall out of proper debate. Trolls, however, are not welcome.

Is this an anarchist site?

No. Anarchism is just one of the many areas of social theory that has been suggested as overlapping with anti-civ thought, but there are many others. Some anarchists hold genuine anti-civ ideas, but most do not. Some people that used to call their selves ‘anarchist’ have dispensed with the label while maintaining a devotion to their anti-civ principles. Similarly, many of those with anti-civ positions do not associate their selves with anarchism at all.

Keith FarnishSome indigenous cultures, particularly those ranging in sparsely foliated areas, have a higher proportion of meat in their diet, but others are largely “vegan” for want of a better term, as dictated by the availability of food. Hunting is harder, in general, than foraging, in acquisition and processing, so humans will always favour the food source that requires minimum effort, excepting ceremonial items. Morality is irrelevant, as the civilised idea of “moral” is based on “wants” rather than needs, and thus has little meaning in non-civilised cultures.

“There came to his nostrils the scent of summer, the smell of flowers mingled, and the odour of the woods, of cool shaded places, deep in the green depths, drawn forth by the sun’s heat; and the scent of the good earth, lying as it were with arms stretched forth, and smiling lips, overpowered all. His fancies made him wander, as he had wandered long ago, from the fields into the wood, tracking a little path between the shining undergrowth of beech-trees; and the trickle of water dropping from the limestone rock sounded as a clear melody in a dream.”

“He was wondering at the strangeness of it all, when suddenly, in place of the hum and murmur of the summer, an infinite silence seemed to fall on all things, and the wood was hushed, and for a moment in time he stood face to face there with a presence…

Is atherosclerosis a disease affecting all animals or only certain animals?

Atherosclerosis affects only herbivores. Dogs, cats, tigers, and lions can be saturated with fat and cholesterol, and atherosclerotic plaques do not develop. The only way to produce atherosclerosis in a carnivore is to take out the thyroid gland; then, for some reason, saturated fat and cholesterol have the same effect as in herbivores.

Are human beings herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores?

Although most of us conduct our lives as omnivores, in that we eat flesh as well as vegetables and fruits, human beings have characteristics of herbivores, not carnivores. The appendages of carnivores are claws; those of herbivores are hands or hooves. The teeth of carnivores are sharp; those of herbivores are mainly flat (for grinding). The intestinal tract of carnivores is short (3 times body length); that of herbivores, long (12 times body length). Body cooling of carnivores is done by panting; herbivores, by sweating. Carnivores drink fluids by lapping; herbivores, by sipping. Carnivores produce their own vitamin C, whereas herbivores obtain it from their diet. Thus, humans have characteristics of herbivores.